The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) is calling for Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) to apologize to Black Americans for his recent comments that insinuated they were better off under Jim Crow laws.
Speaking at a campaign stop meant to build support for Republicans among Black men, Donalds — a potential vice presidential pick for former President Trump — insinuated that Black families were better off under Jim Crow laws than they are today.
“You see, during Jim Crow, the Black family was together. During Jim Crow, more Black people were not just conservative — Black people have always been conservative-minded — but more people voted conservatively,” Donalds said.
But the caucus said Wednesday that Donalds “knows all too well” that Black people were not better off during the Jim Crow era.
“This is a pattern of embracing racist ideologies that we see time and again within the MAGA Republican Party,” the CBC said in a statement.
“Rep. Donalds is playing his role as the mouthpiece who will say the quiet parts out loud that many will not say themselves. His comments were shameful and beneath the dignity of a member of the House of Representatives. He should immediately offer an apology to Black Americans for misrepresenting one of the darkest chapters in our history for his own political gain.”
Jim Crow was a racial caste system built by local and federal laws that relegated Black Americans to a second-class citizenship.
In addition to laws such as segregation, the system also implemented a host of social norms that included a ban on Black couples showing public displays of affection because it could “offend” white people.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) also blasted Donalds for the comments on Wednesday.
“How dare you make such an ignorant observation,” Jeffries said on the House floor. “You better check yourself before you wreck yourself.”
But Black conservatives have thrown their support behind Donalds.
On Wednesday, the Black Conservative Federation, of which Donalds is the chair, condemned Jeffries's remarks.
“Calling Congressman Donalds a 'so-called leader' for his statement on the conservative black family is tasteless, insulting, and quite frankly, unbecoming of a House Minority Leader,” said Diante Johnson, the federation's president and founder. “From day one, Congressman Donalds has spoken truth to power, and his thoughts during yesterday’s event in Philadelphia were no different.”
“For generations, the Democrat Party has overpromised and under-delivered on its promises to Black America," Johnson added. “Byron is correct that Black families were unified before being separated and destroyed by the Biden crime bill and numerous failed policies of the left, and no amount of deception is going to change that reality.”